Asian foods to be featured at Vegfest

Asian foods are among the 500 different kinds of food featured at this year’s Vegfest, to be held March 26 and March 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. Vegfest is the biggest vegetarian food festival in the United States.

Other featured companies include Chao Dao, a specialized iced tea company owned and operated by Thai American Ghim-Sim Chua, and Dilmah Tea, which produces handpicked Sri Lankan tea.

Pranee Halvorsen, a native of Thailand, will be giving a demonstration of Thai cooking at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

In addition to cooking demonstrations, there will be free talks by respected doctors and dietitians on the many health benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Speakers this year include medical doctors such as Chan Hwang, M.D. and Esther Park-Hwang, M.D. Hwang serves as a pain clinic physician consultant for UBC, Inc., in Puyallup, and Park-Hwang is on the faculty of the Tacoma Family Medicine Residency program and is actively involved in the obstetrics and gynecology portion of resident training.

Vegfest also features the biggest vegetarian bookstore. Among the featured books is “The Veg-Feasting Cookbook,” which includes a wide selection of vegetarian recipes from local restaurants and leading chefs. There is also “Vegetarian Pacific Northwest,” a guidebook to veg-friendly restaurants and natural food stores in Washington and Oregon.

In the special kids’ section, children will be able to sample healthy foods. Clowns will be on hand to help educate and entertain throughout the weekend, with special clown shows at the beginning and end of each day. ♦

Admission to Vegfest is $8, kids 12 and under are free. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, visit www.vegfest2011.org or call 206-706-2635.